Road Safety Conference23 October 2007 – Vilnius (Lithuania)

Road Safety: challenges and reality in the EU

Zoltan KazatsayEC/ DG TREN, Deputy Director-General

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Road safety policy (“a shared responsibility”)

White Paper on Transport 2001

Road Safety Action Programme 2003

Mid term review of Road Safety Action Programme 2006

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The European Road Safety Action Programme (2003-2010)

HALVING THE NUMBER OF VICTIMS BY 2010

A SHARED RESPONSIBILITY

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Fatalities - evolution 1990-2010

50.000

46.300

42.900

36.700

34.000

31.500

29.200

27.00025.000

70.900 70.300

66.500

61.30059.600 59.000

55.50056.400

55.20054.100

52.20050.400 49.800

46.700

43.500

41.300

39.100

39.700

20000

30000

40000

50000

60000

70000

80000

1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

Source: - CARE (EU road accidents database) - National data

2010 objective : 25.000 lives to save

EU25 fatalities

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Results per country

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Best improvements

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Main causes of road fatalities

• Speeding : 11 000 / year

• Alcohol : 10 000 / year

• No seat belts : 10 000 / year

• Pedestrians : 2 000 / year

• “Saturday Night Fever” : 2000 / year

(pop aged 18-25 on weekend nights)

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“An integrated approach”

• User behaviour

• Education

• Driving licences

• Enforcement

• Campaigns

• Vehicle safety

• Passive and active safety

• Technical inspection

• Road Infrastructure safety

• European Road Safety Charter

• Observatory (incl. accident data)

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Education: professional drivers

. Transposition of Directive 2003/59/EC of 15 July 2003 (10 September 2006)

. Training of professional drivers

» Initial qualification» Periodic training

. Digital tachograph

. Working (driving) / resting time

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Training of professional drivers

. Initial qualification

» Option combining both course attendance and a test/option involving only test

» Initial qualification / accelerated initial qualification

» Minimum ages for the driving of heavy vehicles / Minimum ages for carrying out the profession of drivers

. Periodic training

» Periodicity/driving licence Directive

» 35 hours every 5 years

» Contents of the periodic training

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Driving Licence: what’s new?

• Anti fraud measures : credit card size, administrative validity 10 years only (up to 15 years possible), one licence only for each driver, optional microchip

• Harmonization of the periodicity of medical checks for professional drivers (5 years)

• Minimum requirements for the training of examiners

• Better harmonization of categories (two-wheels vehicles): staged access from the “light” motorcycles to the most powerful ones

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Different driving licence models

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The single European model

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OBJECTIVE : Improving road behaviour

. by encouraging road users to comply with traffic regulations to reduce

deaths, injuries and accidents

» Step 1: Commission recommendation (2003)

» Step 2: Directive, incl. cross border enforcement (in preparation)

Enforcement of road safety rules

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Directive proposal :

. Cross border follow up for certain traffic offences committed by non residents

. Speeding, drink-driving, non wearing of seat belts (helmets), also social legislation

. Convergence of enforcement practices

. Type-approval of enforcement devices at EU level

Enforcement of road safety rules

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Driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs

. Alcohol : nearly 1 accident in 4 still can be attributed to excessive alcohol consumption

. Prevalence of drug and medicine consumption in accidents can reach 15%

. Reduction of the number of accidents under the influence of alcohol and psychoactive substances is therefore imperative

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Alcohol

. BAC limits, more harmonised within the EU to provide a clearer and more consistent message to drivers

» In some MS: also a lower BAC limit for some groups of drivers (novice or professional drivers): 0,0 mg/ml (SI, DE dangerous goods vehicles), 0,1 mg/ml (AT), 0,2 mg/ml (EL, FR for bus drivers) and 0,3 mg/ml (ES)

0CZ,HU,SK,RO

0,8IE,MT,UK

0,2EE,PL,SE

0,4LT

0,5AT,BE,BG,CY,DE,DK,FI,FR,

EL,IT,LU,LV,NL,PT,SI,ES

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Influence of alcohol, drugs and medicines (DRUID)

. Research project “DRUID”: 4 y., EC contribution = nearly 19 M €

. Expected outcome

» Fixing thresholds defined for driving a power-driven vehicle.

» Evaluation of the best tracking devices.

» Define strategies of driving bans and rehabilitation schemes for drivers.

» Define the doctors' legal responsibility.

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Campaigns against drink-driving, supported by the EU

The European Night without accident The ’’Euro-BOB’’ campaign

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. Front protection of vulnerable users

. Blind spot mirrors for existing trucks (retrofitting) – New Directive 2007/38 (11 July 2007)

. Daytime running lights (DRL) for both existing & new vehicles

. EC and industry in joint initiative "eSafety Aware!" to promote, among others, Electronic Stability Control for all cars

Vehicle safety

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’’Blind angle mirror’’ (Dir. 2007/38 of 11 July 2007) : improving the driver’s rear vision

Drivers eyes

Direct eye sight Class IV

new

Class V new Class II

Class IV old

x Truck

Class V old

Additional vision

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Campaign

« choose ESC! » (EU granted) by FIA Foundation

Bringing eSafety (Electronic Stability Control) to the market through awareness

Operation Mar.2007-Mar.2008

Demo, seminars, video, brochure, press releases, etc.

Partners in DE, EL, ES, IT, NL, NO, AT, FI, SE, UK, …

www.chooseesc.eu/

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. Tunnels Directive 2004/54/EC

. Road infrastructure safety management - Proposal adopted (05.10.2006) – co-decision procedure (EP + Council)

• Road safety impact assessment

• Road safety audits

• Network safety management (treatment of “high-risk road sections”)

• Road inspections

Infrastructure

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The Road Safety Charter

• The extension of the “shared responsibility” concept to civil society

• Signatories commit themselves to concrete and measurable actions

• Commission creates awareness and makes commitments public

• Logo• Awards• Presentations• Reports and newsletters

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The EU Road Safety Observatory

. CARE database:Collect, analyse and disseminate road safety data and knowledge

. A “light” form of a road safety agency

. Internal Commission structure

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The European Road Safety day to raise awareness (every year)

In 2007 main objectives were:

. To give the floor to young people associations already active in the field of road safety

. To address road safety issues of specific importance and interest for young drivers:

» Driving under influence: drink-driving; drugs and driving

» Training and Education

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Thank you for your attention!Thank you for your attention!

http://ec.europa.eu/transport/roadsafety/index_en.htmhttp://ec.europa.eu/transport/roadsafety/index_en.htm